Canon flash advice
Discussion
Hi all,
I'm looking at getting a flash as my next major camera purchase – I know it's not as fun as buying new lenses or bodies… but just one of those things that will improve most of my shots! I've got a Canon 20D and use it primarily with the nifty fifty – 50mm 1.8. I've been looking at getting a 580 EXII, I know it's a bit overkill as a first flash but I will want something that can cover almost any job and can then be used to control 430s in the likely chance that I get into this strobing business quite creatively. I do a fair bit of reportage photography for work, getting head and shoulders shots of people I'm interviewing and so on, but would likely mess about photographing friends' cars, bikes, and women in the bath.
Anyway, my question. The chap in my local camera shop was sceptical about my chances of being able to wirelessly trigger the flash from my 20D using whatever eBay wireless triggers I bought. Is this true? What decent value wireless triggers do people recommend?
While I'm on the subject – what basic off camera lighting gear would I also need? I'm guessing things like a light stand (any recommendations?) and so on?
Many thanks!
Tim
I'm looking at getting a flash as my next major camera purchase – I know it's not as fun as buying new lenses or bodies… but just one of those things that will improve most of my shots! I've got a Canon 20D and use it primarily with the nifty fifty – 50mm 1.8. I've been looking at getting a 580 EXII, I know it's a bit overkill as a first flash but I will want something that can cover almost any job and can then be used to control 430s in the likely chance that I get into this strobing business quite creatively. I do a fair bit of reportage photography for work, getting head and shoulders shots of people I'm interviewing and so on, but would likely mess about photographing friends' cars, bikes, and women in the bath.
Anyway, my question. The chap in my local camera shop was sceptical about my chances of being able to wirelessly trigger the flash from my 20D using whatever eBay wireless triggers I bought. Is this true? What decent value wireless triggers do people recommend?
While I'm on the subject – what basic off camera lighting gear would I also need? I'm guessing things like a light stand (any recommendations?) and so on?
Many thanks!
Tim
Edited by TimmyWimmyWoo on Thursday 10th December 16:40
Any ebay trigger will fire the 580exII just fine, though you won't get any ETTL, only manual. The RF-602s are the new ones to have, meant to be much more reliable than the PT04's.
As for light modifiers... well it depends what you want to do with the light
As for light modifiers... well it depends what you want to do with the light
Edited by jon- on Thursday 10th December 16:59
If you want to trigget the 580 from a 20D you will need to use either an ST-E2 trigger unit on the body or another flash to act as a trigger such as another 580 or an older 550 and these have a master mode.
The 580 is not too much by the way of over kill. It is more powewrfull and so has a larger capacitor inside and so can fire further and faster than the 430. Even in door it should keep up with a 20D when firing 3 shot bursts.
The 580 is not too much by the way of over kill. It is more powewrfull and so has a larger capacitor inside and so can fire further and faster than the 430. Even in door it should keep up with a 20D when firing 3 shot bursts.
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